http://southcarolinapublicradio.org/programs/minute-miles
A Minute with MilesIlluminating 60-second flights through the world of classical music with host and longtime NPR commentator Miles Hoffman. Produced by South Carolina Public Radio.enThu, 22 Feb 2018 03:49:40 +0000NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Alfred TurnerAlfred Turneralfturner@scpublicradio.orgIlluminating 60-second flights through the world of classical music with host and longtime NPR commentator Miles Hoffman. Produced by South Carolina Public Radio.noIlluminating 60-second flights through the world of classical music with host and longtime NPR commentator Miles Hoffman. Produced by South Carolina Public Radio.noSouth Carolina Public Radioalfturner@scpublicradio.orghttp://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/sports-music-connections
The efficient and graceful use of the body is crucial to both sports and musical performance. But there are certainly many mental parallels as well -- and the experiences of athletes can teach us quite a bit about what musicians do. Years ago I read anSports - Music ConnectionsThe efficient and graceful use of the body is crucial to both sports and musical performance. But there are certainly many mental parallels as well -- and the experiences of athletes can teach us quite a bit about what musicians do. Years ago I read an interview in the Washington Post with a professional baseball player named Charles Johnson. Johnson had hit a three-run homer to win a game, and this is what he said afterward: “I recognized a curve ball right away, and told myself to stay on it. I wasn’t trying to hit it out of the park, but I got a good part of the bat on it.”bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)46681 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netWed, 21 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/colors-white
In 2004 the Vatican Museum presented an exhibit called “The Colors of White.” What the exhibit showed, in a nutshell, is that our notion that the beauty of ancient Greek and Roman statues lies in their pure, white form is a relatively modern idea, with noThe Colors of WhiteIn 2004 the Vatican Museum presented an exhibit called “The Colors of White.” What the exhibit showed, in a nutshell, is that our notion that the beauty of ancient Greek and Roman statues lies in their pure, white form is a relatively modern idea, with no basis in historical fact. Scientists working with electron microscopes discovered vestiges of all sorts of bright paint colors on ancient statues, colors that to modern eyes seem hideously garish, and the curators of the Vatican exhibit commissioned reproductions that were painted with those colors.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)46677 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netTue, 20 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/david-popper
Have you ever heard of a composer named David Popper? If you’re not a cellist, your answer is very likely…“Nope.” But if you are a cellist, your answer is, “Well of course .” There are some composers whose reputations rest almost entirely on their worksDavid PopperHave you ever heard of a composer named David Popper? If you’re not a cellist, your answer is very likely…“Nope.” But if you are a cellist, your answer is, “Well of course .” There are some composers whose reputations rest almost entirely on their works for one instrument, and who, although they may not have been composers of the first rank, wrote brilliantly for that one instrument. Popper, who was born in Prague, in 1843, is a perfect example.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)46676 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netMon, 19 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/lure-music
In 1918 the music critic Olin Downes published a book called The Lure of Music . It’s a collection of biographical sketches of famous composers, and it includes listening suggestions, samples of the composers’ works on Columbia records. Most of theThe Lure of MusicIn 1918 the music critic Olin Downes published a book called The Lure of Music . It’s a collection of biographical sketches of famous composers, and it includes listening suggestions, samples of the composers’ works on Columbia records. Most of the composers Downes writes about—people such as Verdi, Chopin, Berlioz, Dvorák—are among the immortals… They were famous then and they’ll always remain famous. But what’s fascinating to me is that I know hardly any of the performers’ names on the recordings.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)42783 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netFri, 16 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/heartless-musicians
Many years ago I was having dinner with a group of colleagues when the name of a viola player we all knew came up. When I mentioned that this violist had just had his third heart attack, the instantaneous response from an old-timer across the table was, Heartless MusiciansMany years ago I was having dinner with a group of colleagues when the name of a viola player we all knew came up. When I mentioned that this violist had just had his third heart attack, the instantaneous response from an old-timer across the table was, “Really? I didn’t know he had a heart.” As it happens, the heartless violist in question was not a terribly good player, to put it mildly. But we musicians have all known people we’ve found to be thoroughly unpleasant, even cruel, or thoroughly insipid and boring, who walk on stage and play or sing beautifully, movingly . How is this possible?bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)42782 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netThu, 15 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/counterpoint
Counterpoint, also called polyphony , is the art, in musical composition, of combining two or more simultaneous lines of music. The word counterpoint comes from the Latin punctus contra punctum , meaning “note against note,” and the adjective derived fromCounterpointCounterpoint, also called polyphony , is the art, in musical composition, of combining two or more simultaneous lines of music. The word counterpoint comes from the Latin punctus contra punctum , meaning “note against note,” and the adjective derived from the word counterpoint is contrapuntal . Now you might ask, why isn’t it called contrapuntal writing when a melody is combined with an accompaniment? The answer is that in contrapuntal writing, the simultaneous musical lines are distinct and independent—each is a theme or melody that could stand alone.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)42477 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netWed, 14 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/pizzicato-0
There are many musical terms that get translated into several languages, depending on the native language of the composer who’s using the terms. The Italian term Allegro , for example, might appear as “Lively,” in English, or “Vif,” in French, or “LebhaftPizzicatoThere are many musical terms that get translated into several languages, depending on the native language of the composer who’s using the terms. The Italian term Allegro , for example, might appear as “Lively,” in English, or “Vif,” in French, or “Lebhaft,” in German. But there’s one musical term that for some reason you’ll only ever see…or hear …in the original Italian, and that’s Pizzicato. Pizzicato is the Italian word for “plucked.” To play pizzicato on a stringed instrument means to make the notes sound by plucking the strings with the fingers, rather than by using the bow.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)42476 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netTue, 13 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/program-music-0
“Program music” is instrumental music that attempts to tell a story, paint a scene or picture, or convey impressions of a character, place, or event. But no matter how sonically descriptive, music is always open to a range of interpretations—sometimes farProgram Music“Program music” is instrumental music that attempts to tell a story, paint a scene or picture, or convey impressions of a character, place, or event. But no matter how sonically descriptive, music is always open to a range of interpretations—sometimes far removed from the composer’s intentions—and no two people will ever hear the same work in exactly the same way. I’ll go further: in most cases, without descriptive titles we wouldn’t have the first foggiest clue of what an instrumental piece was supposed to be “about.” And what does “about” even mean, when it comes to music?bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)42473 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netMon, 12 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/hayes-and-olivier
Your strange job as a performing artist—musician, actor, or dancer—is to immerse yourself completely in the work of art you’re performing—to lose yourself, in a sense—and yet at all times to remain aware of precisely what you’re doing and how you’re doingHayes and OlivierYour strange job as a performing artist—musician, actor, or dancer—is to immerse yourself completely in the work of art you’re performing—to lose yourself, in a sense—and yet at all times to remain aware of precisely what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. It’s not easy, and sometimes the process—which is complicated to begin with—becomes downright mysterious. I once heard the actress Helen Hayes tell a story about Sir Laurence Olivier. She was performing in a play with Olivier, and one night he give a performance that was absolutely staggering—especially brilliant even for him.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)42472 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netFri, 09 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/finales
Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in classical music, the final movements of instrumental pieces—the finales— were almost always in fast tempos, and they usually ended loud, and emphatically. No matter where the rest of the piece hadFinalesThroughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in classical music, the final movements of instrumental pieces—the finales— were almost always in fast tempos, and they usually ended loud, and emphatically. No matter where the rest of the piece had taken us, the finale was meant to provide a resolution, a sense that we’d just heard a complete work of art, a satisfyingly complete narrative, with a beginning, a middle, and—in no uncertain terms—an end. There was a kind of affirmative philosophy underlying the composer’s work, and a projection of certainty: I know what I meant to say, I’ve said it, and there’s value in my having said it.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)42471 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netThu, 08 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/outdoor-concerts-puppy-incident
Outdoor concerts can be delightful, especially when the music and the natural surroundings make a perfect mix. Then again, when you’re playing outdoors, things sometimes happen that wouldn’t ever happen in the concert hall—and I’m not just talking aboutOutdoor Concerts - The Puppy IncidentOutdoor concerts can be delightful, especially when the music and the natural surroundings make a perfect mix. Then again, when you’re playing outdoors, things sometimes happen that wouldn’t ever happen in the concert hall—and I’m not just talking about thunderstorms. I’m thinking of a concert I played many years ago at a festival in France. The setting was beautiful—we were in a valley in the Alps—and the music was Schubert’s “Trout” Quintet. What could be better? The performance received an unexpected interruption, however, when a Labrador retriever puppy decided to run up on stage and say hello to all the musicians, wiggling his cute little hind quarters at the audience the whole time.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)42470 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netWed, 07 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/repeats-music
Composers often call for repeats , in their music, for whole sections of their pieces to be played twice. And the question is: what’s the point? One answer is that the repeat helps the listener remember the musical material. But more important, I think,Repeats in MusicComposers often call for repeats , in their music, for whole sections of their pieces to be played twice. And the question is: what’s the point? One answer is that the repeat helps the listener remember the musical material. But more important, I think, is that the second time through a section always has different meaning, and meanings , precisely because we’ve already heard it once. A return —no matter if it’s to a person, a place, or an experience—always feels very different from a first meeting.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)42469 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netTue, 06 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/harp-1
If you have a chance to attend an orchestra concert anytime soon and one of the pieces on the program calls for a harp, make sure to watch the harpist’s feet. They’ll be busy. The modern concert harp has forty seven strings, but it also has seven footThe HarpIf you have a chance to attend an orchestra concert anytime soon and one of the pieces on the program calls for a harp, make sure to watch the harpist’s feet. They’ll be busy. The modern concert harp has forty seven strings, but it also has seven foot pedals, each of which controls one set of strings for each note of the scale. The A pedal, for example, controls all the A strings on the harp, and can change their length so that they sound A-natural or A-sharp or A-flat. As they play, harpists have to set and reset their pedals constantly—and quickly —to prepare for the notes that are coming up.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)42468 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netMon, 05 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/prima-donna-0
Of the many musical terms that have made their way into general usage, one of the most colorful—and useful—is Prima donna. These days the term gets applied to anyone with an oversized ego—man or woman—but in Italian it simply means “first lady,” and it’sPrima DonnaOf the many musical terms that have made their way into general usage, one of the most colorful—and useful—is Prima donna. These days the term gets applied to anyone with an oversized ego—man or woman—but in Italian it simply means “first lady,” and it’s been in use since the 1600's as the title for the singer of an opera’s principal female role. By the 1700's the term was already associated with the artistic and commercial cult of the glamorous leading lady—a cult that met with little protest from the leading ladies themselves—and some prima donnas demanded to be called prima donna assoluta , “ absolute leading lady.”bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)42467 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netFri, 02 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/bach-brandenburg-letter
I’d like to read you part of an interesting job application letter. It was originally in French: “My Lord, As I had the honor of playing before Your Royal Highness… and as I observed that You took some pleasure in the small talent that heaven has given meBach Brandenburg LetterI’d like to read you part of an interesting job application letter. It was originally in French: “My Lord, As I had the honor of playing before Your Royal Highness… and as I observed that You took some pleasure in the small talent that heaven has given me for music, and [as] You honoured me with a command to send You some pieces of my composition, I now…take the liberty of presenting [you] with the present concertos… humbly praying You not to judge their imperfections by the severity of the fine and delicate taste that every one knows You to have for music …”bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)42466 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netThu, 01 Feb 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/musicians-nightmares
I can’t say for sure, but I would guess that most people have had what might be called recurring anxiety dreams… the kinds of dreams in which you find yourself in public with no clothes on, or about to take a test in a subject you’ve never studied. PeopleMusicians' NightmaresI can’t say for sure, but I would guess that most people have had what might be called recurring anxiety dreams… the kinds of dreams in which you find yourself in public with no clothes on, or about to take a test in a subject you’ve never studied. People’s anxiety dreams tend to be tailored to their particular personalities, circumstances, and experiences, and often to their particular professions.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)40594 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netWed, 31 Jan 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/master-classes
A master class is a public lesson. A distinguished teacher—that would be the master—works with a student on a piece of music, but the teacher isn’t the student’s regular teacher, and instead of the lesson taking place in a private studio, it takes placeMaster ClassesA master class is a public lesson. A distinguished teacher—that would be the master—works with a student on a piece of music, but the teacher isn’t the student’s regular teacher, and instead of the lesson taking place in a private studio, it takes place in front of an audience. It’s a kind of double performance—the student is performing for the audience, but so is the teacher. And the idea is that whatever the teacher has to offer will be of value to both the student and the observers.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)40593 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netTue, 30 Jan 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/gabriel-faure
Gabriel Fauré is often referred to as one of the greatest French composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But I wonder if that description goes far enough. It’s certainly true that his contributions to French music, especially inGabriel FaureGabriel Fauré is often referred to as one of the greatest French composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But I wonder if that description goes far enough. It’s certainly true that his contributions to French music, especially in the areas of chamber music, piano music, and music for the voice -- are remarkable. But they’re remarkable because they’re wonderful music , not because they’re French.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)40592 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netMon, 29 Jan 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/mendelssohn-and-st-matthew-passion
J.S. Bach composed his St. Matthew Passion in 1727. But for the better part of a century after that, the piece essentially disappeared, unknown to all but a few specialists. One of those specialists was the composer Carl Friedrich Zelter, who was theMendelssohn and St. Matthew PassionJ.S. Bach composed his St. Matthew Passion in 1727. But for the better part of a century after that, the piece essentially disappeared, unknown to all but a few specialists. One of those specialists was the composer Carl Friedrich Zelter, who was the music teacher of a boy named Felix Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn was only about fourteen when his grandmother gave him a copy of the full score of the St. Matthew Passion – a score she had borrowed from Zelter….bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)40591 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netFri, 26 Jan 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/composer-friends-and-colleagues
I find it fascinating that many of the greatest composers of the 19 th century—composers such as Berlioz, Schumann, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Wagner, Brahms, Dvorák, and Tchaikovsky—knew one another, and in many cases had very friendly personal and musicalComposer Friends and ColleaguesI find it fascinating that many of the greatest composers of the 19 th century—composers such as Berlioz, Schumann, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Wagner, Brahms, Dvorák, and Tchaikovsky—knew one another, and in many cases had very friendly personal and musical relationships. Schumann, for example, wrote his piano quintet for his wife, Clara, a great piano virtuoso …and Clara played the first public performance of the piece.bradberry@scpublicradio.org (Miles Hoffman)40590 as http://wltr.drupal.publicbroadcasting.netThu, 25 Jan 2018 12:00:00 +0000Miles Hoffman60